Jeremecia Perry
Staff Sergeant Jeremecia Perry suffered his injury 10 days short of completing his eighth year in the Army. Perry was 13 months into what should have been a year-long deployment with the 1-156th AR BN unit in Baghdad, Iraq when a Vehicle Born Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) hit his 3 vehicle convoy. The explosion hit the humvee just ahead of Perry’s causing it and the four soldiers inside to disintegrate. Perry’s vehicle was also struck leaving him disoriented, bloodied and burned. Perry had to endure a 17 minute fire fight before a convoy could take him to the nearby Ibn Sina Hospital, located in the International Zone (Green Zone). Perry’s injuries included a fractured spine, broken ribs, a concussion, and 2nd degree burns to his left arm. Perry was sent to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) and the Center for the Intrepid (CFI) after six months of intensive therapy at Warm Springs Poly-Trauma Unit in Tampa, Florida. While receiving treatment at BAMC and CFI, Perry lived in the barracks at Fort Sam Houston. For the better part of a year Perry was wheelchair bound due to nerve damage that resulted in numbness and stabbing pains from the waist down. In early August of 2009, Perry was referred to Operation Homefront Village – San Antonio by one of the first wounded warriors to benefit from the rent-free apartments at OH Village. Thanks to Operation Homefront this Purple Heart recipient hopes to avoid some of the financial struggles that two of his battle buddies are experiencing as they continue to wait on their Veteran’s Affairs disability benefits. While Perry is now able to walk with a cane, he still has limited mobility and limited weight baring capacity. Perry’s pool therapy at CFI is ongoing, as is his non-impact therapy for his back and joints. He feels blessed to be at OH Village, and relieved that his apartment is only a short distance away from BAMC and CFI. Perry is currently working on a bachelor’s degree at New Mexico State University. He hopes to receive a degree in Electrical Engineering, with a minor in psychology in about two years. His goals include possibly working as a social worker with returning soldiers and starting a family. Perry looks forward to a new and productive life.
Apartment Provided Courtesy of The PGA Tour